All posts tagged ‘antarctica’

9-year old Nikolas Toocheck has set a goal to run a marathon each of the seven continents. Support his endeavor by considering a contribution to Operation Warm. Kudos to Nikolas’s parents for supporting his incredible ambition. Photo: Tara Toocheck, used with permission.

This weekend my family and I are driving down to Walt Disney World to take part in the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend. Not only is there the half marathon, but the resort also puts on a series of family races, including the Royal Family 5K. This year, in addition to the half marathon I’m running this Sunday, my entire family is signed up for this Saturday’s Royal Family 5K and we are looking forward to again donning our Incredibles outfits from Dragon*Con (because I’m a one-trick-pony that way) and running as a family.

We’ve received a lot of questions and comments about running as a family:

“Do your kids like running?” (My oldest son, age 10, loves is and is pretty good at it. My youngest son, age 8, likes the idea of running a race, but doesn’t like the preparation for it. He still enjoys the races.)

“Do you have to stay with your kids during a race?” (My husband and I make a point to stay with our youngest son. Our oldest son has run ahead before and is very good about staying near a pre-established spot just past the finish line if he wants to run ahead. He’s pretty mature for his age and I trust him.)

“Is it safe and healthy for such young children to be running long distances?” (That’s a point that is often debated. I feel that 5 kilometers, 3.1 miles, is pretty reasonable for most children.)

According to his website, Nikolas Toocheck began running at age 5 with his father, who maintains a running regimen to keep up with his Air Force Reserves physical fitness requirements. From his first 5K on his own two feet at age 6, Nikolas was hooked and began to take part in longer and longer races. He ran his first marathon in Delaware this past December. He and his family discussed how marathons take place worldwide in many assorted climates, and from that grew Nikolas’s goal: to run one marathon on each of the seven continents.

He has North America covered from his December marathon, and his next marathon is this coming weekend in Antarctica, where he and his father will be running the White Continent Marathon together.

Nikolas is running for charity: Operation Warm is an organization committed to supplying new coats for needy children. See the end of the post for details on how you can donate.

I’m sure you’re either loving or hating this whole thing, right? You might be concerned about the physical and psychological** toll marathoning might have on a still-growing child.

**Yes, psychological toll. I ran a marathon in 2000 and it was very difficult for me, not physically, but mentally. I have memories of sitting down on the side of a trail near Dayton, Ohio and crying. I remember screaming, demanding “Why am I doing this?”

It’s absolutely wonderful that Nikolas is using his running to bring awareness to a charity that’s near and dear to him, and that he’s inspiring other children to get fit.

Yes, this is one of my favorite parts. His goal is to run seven marathons on seven continents: 7 x 26.2 miles x 5280 feet per mile = ~968,000 feet. He rounded up to one million and set a fundraising goal for $1 per one-foot step.